


turnaround

by yourloveisameme



Series: would smell as sweet [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU where you get a tattoo of someone's name, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Harry Potter Next Generation, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-01-27 07:44:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12576996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourloveisameme/pseuds/yourloveisameme
Summary: "I'm the wrong James.""What?" Teddy rolled down his sleeve, covering the tattoo. "How do you know that?""I don't have your name."





	turnaround

**Author's Note:**

> rather than doing nano I'm posting really old snippets from previous years soooo

He showed the tattoo to James three months after they officially started dating.

James took one look at Teddy's arm and curled his hands into fists. "Cool," he said, looking at his sneakers.

Teddy's smile faded. Clearly, this wasn't the reaction he'd expected. "It's your name," he said, stating the obvious. It made James's heart ache, seeing the look on his face. He sighed, staring at Teddy's arms. They were nice arms, covered in tattoos in different colors and styles. A dragon here, a flower there, a Ravenclaw crest. So many patterns that you might not even notice all the individual parts until Teddy pointed it out, like the Mark right near his elbow spelling out **JAMES**.

"I'm the wrong James." 

"What?" Teddy rolled down his sleeve, covering the tattoo. "How do you know that?"

"I don't have _your_ name."

"Oh." He sat back, leaning against the tree.

"Yeah," James said, smiling weakly. 

They were sitting in James's parents' backyard, the house where he'd grown up, and it was one of those moments he felt closest to Teddy, sitting beside him with their legs touching. Just sitting, enjoying each other's company. It was a beautiful day. Blue skies, cool air, all that good shit. Perfect--or it would be, if it weren't for this. James felt a lump growing in his throat.

Teddy set his hand on James's thigh comfortingly. "It's not a big deal anyway."

"It kind of is."

"No, its not."

"I'll have to leave you someday," James said, and then, quieter, "You'll have to leave _me_." He bit his lip.

"Don't be stupid," Teddy said. "I won't leave you. If you decide to go off with...whoever...that's up to you, but you can still come to me for...anything."

James glanced at him. He'd always been there. Whether he needed a role model or a friend or something more, Teddy had been there. Who looked after James through his early years at Hogwarts? Who listened to his adolescent angst and took him to shitty rock concerts? Who let him crash at his place in the city when James first moved there and had nowhere to go? Theodore Lupin, that's who.

James stared into his soft, earnest, hazel eyes. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Teddy said, with a hesitant grin. His turquoise hair was going anxiety-yellow at the tips, just a little. "Besides, I think your dad would kill me if I dumped you."

"Nah," James shook his head. His dad was way too attached to Teddy to ever be really angry at him. Then he grinned. "But my mom might."

Teddy laughed. "That's true." His hair, James noticed, was default turquoise again.

They both sat there, smiling at each other. James felt something heavy lifting in his chest, like releasing a Bludger from its restraints. James placed his hand over Teddy's hand. "Don't worry, I'm not going to go off with some random person just because their name is on my arm, I mean...I know that your Mark is the universe's way of telling you who you're supposed to be with...but, fuck the universe."

"Yeah," said Teddy, looking like he was about to laugh. "Fuck the universe."

James kissed him, feeling a tiny burst of joy as Teddy kissed him back, a hand landing on the small of his back, and they kissed deeper--warm, open-mouthed kissing that sent sparks over his skin and blood rushing--

"Ewwww!"

James broke away to glare at his sister. "Lily!" he said.

"Snogging in public? You're like Mum and Dad," Lily said, looking at her brother with disdain. "Anyway, Mum says you have to _stop being gross_ \--not you, Teddy, you're not gross--and come eat."

"She said that?" Teddy said, amused.

"Great, I'm starving." James rolled his eyes and got to his feet, and he and Teddy began to walk back to the house, following the girls. As they walked, Teddy glanced at him, opened his mouth like he was about to say something and then glanced away. "What?"

"Nothing, I just...if you don't mind me asking, what's your Mark really say?"

"Oh," James shrugged. "Edward."

Teddy stopped walking. "Edward?"

James pulled down his armband and showed him. Teddy burst out laughing, and he wouldn't stop. He clutched his stomach as James stared at him confusedly. "Jamie...you idiot. What's my name?"

"...Teddy."

"My legal name."

"Theodore."

Teddy shook his head. "Edward. Remus. Lupin."

"What?" James reeled in shock, leaning against the brick wall for support. "You're joking. But...you--that doesn't even...how do you get Teddy out of _Edward_?"

"I don't know. It's my granddad's name."

James gaped at him, speechless. His heart was hammering in his chest, his brain unable to process this. "I can't believe it..." Teddy. Edward. His soulmate. Edward? _Soulmate_.

Teddy put an arm around his shoulder. "Let's go." He looked at him, face and hair slightly pink.

James nodded in wonder. "Yeah, let's go."


End file.
